


Of Storms and Sorrows

by cursed_siren



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Ahri x Yasuo, Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Ionia - Freeform, drinkiing to cope with you killing your brother, mention of slavery, saving a maid in distress, someone who barely know show to play league writing lol fanfics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:15:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27727336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cursed_siren/pseuds/cursed_siren
Relationships: Ahri & Yasuo (League of Legends), Yasuo - Relationship
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Of Storms and Sorrows

Rum was sometimes called fire sugar in Ionia.  
Yet soon enough Yasuo had learned that the rum in this dive near the port of Bilgewater was bitter and burning with only a faded whisper of the sweet-cane it had once been brewed out of.  
Yet it got the job done well enough.  
It drowned out the rowdy yells and lousy music that filled the moldy and dimnly-lit Tavern. The voices, marked by the deep Accent of the Isles had blurred together by now, together with the white noise of the howling storm that shook the crooked windows along the walls. 

The unforgiven had been swept to the rocky shores of bilgewater by another contract, once that had paid him quite handsomely. Mercenary work, while often most dirty, paid well. 

... a Vastaya, I tell you“, a voice a few tables to his side. The old word made his ears perk up.  
A *Vastaya*, in these parts of the world? He furrowed a brow in doubt, yet did not dare lift his gaze, his hand sliding beneath the table where the sheathed blade hung from his hip as he focused in on the conversation. “Almost too pretty too sell, but I‘ll part from herfor the right price“, words scarred deep by the Dialect of Bilgewater. 

The thought of slavery immediately caught Yasuo‘s mind. Injustice against the most helpless. His jaw clenched as he slowly looked up to the wall opposite of him, for just a moment glancing to the side to catch a glimpse of whoever spoke those poisoned words.  
A pirate, clearly, or something darker yet hunched over the table with a figure shrouded in darkness. The words of the shadow were too quiet to hear from this distance, however.  
„Yes, yes, I have her here. . . if you‘re interested, I may show you the goods“  
*the goods*. Yasuo held back a scoff as he threw back his glass, stifling a cough from the expected burn of the spirit As he emptied it. Still, he noticed the tavern growing quiet as a clattering of coins echoed from the table to his side. Now his eyes were by far not the only ones on the two.  
He chose to use the distraction he had been given, placing a few coins by his emptied glasses to pay and quietly leaving the establishment with swift steps. 

Outside, the wind caught him immediately,howling In his ears, pulled at his cloak. A proper storm was coming, he could feel the static in the air and see clouds dark as the smoke of a forest fire looming overhead. With swift steps, Yasuo tucked himself into an alley by the side of the entrance, watching from the shadows, waiting, perhaps that last rum had been a less than ideal choice.He could feel his movements being being less precise than usual, the ground feeling less stable than he was used to.  
The rushing roar of waves crashing against cliffs grew to be nearly deafening as the distant rumble of thunder growled over the ocean.  
Patience is a virtue, Yasuo reminded himself, thinking back to his teachings that seemed much more distant now. Patient as a gentle breeze in a valley, Quiet as a gale in a summer night.A warm summer night, how pleasant that would be now.

And he almost missed the blur of movement as the tavern door opened, two figures leaving into the stormy night. The wind tore at their clothes like desperate hands fighting to grasp their last chance of survival.  
Yasuo knew he would not have to hide his steps, among the storm above them he was merely another gust of wind.  
He followed them to the docks, where the waves were starting to spill over the wharf, seafoam hungrily lapping at the stone with each wave and sending a gust of seaspray into the air.  
Storage halls, that once held crakes of wondrous wares and mystical cargo, but now only housed rats and the occasional drunkard, lined the docks, the old metal and stone ominously creaking with the storm. The metal door one of the figures opened was swiftly caught by the gales and thrown open with a crash too loud to be drowned out by the breaking waves. Even though the pale light distant lanterns threw, Yasuo was able to observe them both swiftly entering the hall as he steadied himself against a crooked streetlight.  
Lord, he could feel that last glass of rum in his bones now as regret filled his head. 

As he stepped through the doorframe, ducked and trying to evade any attention, the low thrumming of raindrops began echoing through the deserted storage hall, blurring into the distant conversation of the two figures.  
With soft steps, he ducked behind some crates stacked close to the wall, following the two voices. 

„…magnificent, isn‘t she? I went through quite some trouble to catch this one“  
„Indeed, Vastaya are such. . . wondrous creatures. This one is quite an impressive specimen. “

„Aye, that is why I am afraid I can‘t drop the prince. 200 gold coins is my last offer, friend“  
„I‘ll take the Vastaya, then“

The sound that then echoed through the building was not the sound of a well-filled coin pouch being passed, instead, it was the high-pitched hiss of steel being pulled from its sheath, followed by the bone-chilling of thrust of iron meeting flesh. The heavy thud had been masked by the howl of wind, had Yasuo not been crouched behind a barrel nearby, his hand on the pommel of his blade. 

Carefully, he listened to the clattering of a keychain being ruffled through, waiting for the moment to strike.  
Yasuo lept over the barrel and thrust forward. Swiftly, his feet found footing, yet he knew his form was off. The alcohol, cursed be his gluttony.  
His strikes, however, quick and precise ever as he cut through the figure. Merely a few strikes he felt resistance, a futile attempt to parry his blade as the dagger his opponent held, clattered to the ground.Even intoxicated, he had found few enemies truly worthy of his blade.  
As swiftly as the battle had come, it came to an end as a second body hit the floor.  
„No one is promised tomorrow“, he muttered as a quick scurrying sound caught his attention. 

A wooden cage, a few feet long from side to side stood before him, a heavy, metal lock keeping the door shut. With what low light fell through the broken windows of the building, he could make out a Silhouette and a pair of bright green eyes that almost seemed to glow in the darkness, framed by king, dark hair. The figure, most certainly feminine in form sat pressed against the far end of the cage, hands clawed into the bards behind her. Yasuo was able to decipher the expression in the features, even if they were obscured by shadow-was is fear?.  
Like lighting realization struck him as he understood.  
He likely seemed like another slaver, coming to claim his prize.  
„I come not to hurt you“, he spoke carefully, yet still saw distrust in the pair of eyes that slowly came close. To the ground of the cage, movement stirred. At first, he thought them to be a tangle of writhing, white snakes like the tails a dozen serpents, yet he recognized them to be furred-nine tailed of snow-white fur that moved with the body of the woman.  
He stepped up to the cage and opened his mouth to speak. 

A searing flash of pain struck his cheek as a hand, quick as lighting reached beyond the bars and clawed at his face. He stumbled back, caught off guard by this attack, grasping his face and feeling drops of blood on his palm. He cursed to himself.  
Yasuo had often told himself to Unshackle his anger, this, however, was not what he meant.  
„I am here to free you, girl “, he added with a sour tone, clenching his jaw.  
Once more, the figure had recoiled to the back of the cage as Yasuo stepped close, raising his blade and channeling his intent.  
The sword hummed as he brought it down onto the iron lock, shattering it into dozens of pieces on the ground. “I ask for you to not strike me again“, he grumbled to the Vastaya and slowly opened the door do the cage, taking back a step. 

It was like he was watching a cat move in the dark, as silent as a shadow and just as careful, the girl stepped out the cage. Dark, tangled hair, a pair of piercing emerald eyes, and a flurry of tails as white as winter’s snow trailing behind her. „Apologies for clawing at you“, her words merely a whisper in the howling storm that shook the building. The fox-girl proved to be fast on her feet too, or perhaps more eager to leave as she swiftly stepped past Yasuo, leaving him to follow. 

Once more, the thrumming rain and wind masked some sound as, for the second time this night, he was caught off guard. Intoxication and pride had fogged his senses.  
He did not hear how a dagger was picked from the ground and the groan of a foe he had not bothered bringing an end to.  
A sharp pain rang through his back as a blade was thrust into his skin, the searing ache thrumming with each moment, spreading through his shoulders and core as he reached for his sword once more, pain-numbing his mind. 

She heard the pained groan, the stomach-twisting sound of a blade being pulled from a wound as she spun around to see the man that had broken her free fall to his knees.  
Outside, the dim moonlight shone.  
She could leave. Right now. And be free of her shackles. And no one would be any wiser.  
Yet guilt tugged at her heart.  
Could she leave this man to this fate?  
Outside, freedom awaited her.  
Yet, inside, she owed the man, whose breath reeked of rum, her life.  
Now, that Petricide Wood no longer consumed her magic, she could repay him. 

For just a moment, the storm seemed to hold its breath as her green eyes flickered to a bright blue and she dashed to the side, closer to the two men. An avalanche of brightly burning energy crashed into her foe. She focused, reaching into the magic she held inside, and rushed closer, unleashing three more, flickering orbs of uncontained chaos.  
She could see the Swordman’s face painted with awe and shock as Ahri gave a playful wink and dashed closer once more, throwing a last rush of energy as the dagger-wielding figure hit the floor once and for all.  
„You know magic“, he spoke, baffled, but it did make sense. Vastaya were said to be connected to the very essence of Runeterra.  
„Shall we?“, she replied, offering him a hand. 

Outside, a slow drizzle had turned into a downpour, soaking both of them the moment they stepped out.  
Promptly, Yasuo grasped the girl‘s hand and pulled her with him. He had the room he had paid for in an Inn, even if any dry, warm place would do the job right now. Dexterous on her feet, he could see a smile on her face as she ran with him, overtaking him and pulling Yasuo by the hand through a gust of seaspray flung in the air by another wave crashing Into the wharf while he found himself slipping once or twice on the rain- and bride soaked, stones.  
By the time they stood in the doorway of the Inn, both of them were wet to the bone, leaving behind a trail of water on the wooden stairs.  
„They call me Yasuo“, he mentioned offhandedly as he unlocked the door to his room, holding open the door for the girl-only realizing he had skipped introductions.  
„That‘s an Ionian name“, the fox-tailed girl gave back, raising an eyebrow as she started to circle the room, looking into every corner,leaving behind a trail of water dripping of her tails.  
Yasuo, however, emptied out the half-inch of water that had collected in his boots in the sink‘„That is where I was born“  
He watched as she inquisitively looked out the window and pulled the curtains shut:„Ahri“  
„Pardon?“  
„That‘s my name. Ahri“, she repeated her name as if a child had asked her to spell it out.  
„That is an Ionian Name too, isn‘t it?“, he asked, pulling off his soaked shirt, wringing it out as well before taking a towel and walking over to Ahri, offering it to her.  
She nodded and started drying her hair. Her dress, while dirtied and worn out, was of Ionian make too. It reminded him of the nicer dresses some girls in his village would sometimes wear, Ahri even had a similar Accent as she spoke. 

For a moment, Yasuo watched her pat dry her shiny, black hair before she jumped in place, caught off guard by the howling storm outside battering against the window behind her, leaping away, a ball of pulsing blue Energie gathering in her hand. He reached for her wrist, carefully lowering it, “Do not fear the wind, while it reigns in a wild and chaotic night, it harms only those who oppose it“, he spoke, reminiscent of the prose his master taught him once.  
He heard Ahri Mutter something, likely not something very nice and turned to the chest that held most of his belongings, looking for the spare set of clothes he had, a set he had grown out of. Nothing nice, but something dry to borrow to Ahri for now. “Take this, your clothes should dry overnight, take your time. . I‘ll be back “, looking at her, his shirt would likely be a dress on her anyways. Yasuo swiftly stepped into the bathroom, giving Ahri a moment to change in private as he dried himself off and cleaned his blade of the filth of the night. 

He remembered the deaths he had witnessed this day.  
The cruel man he had left alive in his own sloppiness, lowering his head in shame.  
Had it not been for Ahri, mayhaps he would not have lived to see the sunrise.  
Yasuo rubbed his temple, ran a hand through his unkempt hair. He knew, he now carried a responsibility to that woman, to get her to safety and on her way.  
So much to do…  
All that tomorrow.  
For now, he could ask where she was headed, if there was family she had to get in contact with.  
With a promise to himself, he stepped back into the bedroom: “Ahri, where wer-„

He stopped mid-sentence as he saw her, eyes shut, curled against the end of the bed and sound asleep, the nine, damp tails wrapped around her and changed into the clothes he had offered.No wonder unconsciousness had so swiftly taken her, dark circles beneath her eyes and bruised joints marked the exhaustion written on her body.  
Tomorrow, they‘d figure it out tomorrow. Careful not to wake her, he swept her up into his arms and put her onto the bed properly, she stirred slightly as he placed her down and pulled the blanket over her. Only one of the foxtails peeked out the blanket, hanging off the bed, peacefully drifting side to side. For just a moment, he watched her, deciding what he had done tonight had been good before sinking to the floor by the bed.  
It wouldn‘t be appropriate to share the bed with a woman he had just rescued, not without her permission anyway.He placed his sheathed blade on the ground next to him, glanced to the door, to the windows, the storm still howling outside, and finally to Ahri.  
He wouldn’t pry about her past, yet knew he had to ask if he wanted to bring her to safety.  
Thunder and bone-chilling winds tore Yasuo from the grasp of sleep a few times, each time shaking him awake shortly before oblivion could take him until he was gently awakened by a whisper and a finger poking his shoulder. 

„Yasuo“, a small voice through the darkness, almost like the whisper of Wind rushing through the leaves of a tree. For a moment, Yasuo had forgotten the Woman he had in his bed and so wondered for a few moments why he was on the floor.  
„Are you alright?“, he asked in return, worried she might‘ve heard something, his hand finding his sword through the darkness..  
Silence swept through the room, filled by only the raging storm beyond the room, rain battering against the window like a hail of arrows. „I‘m afraid“, there was a hint of shame in her voice, “would. . . would you mind sleeping in the bed with me?“, a simple request he could imagine cost her some courage. He gave a nod, muttered in agreement as he sat down on the edge of the mattress where Ahri already held the blanket up for him.Settling into the bed, Yasuo offered her his arm; it was just an offering she was free to refuse, yet it was one he did not mind giving. Before another thought could be formed, however, he had the head of the young woman resting against his chest and he loosely draped his arm around her side, closing his eyes after a few moments.  
There was a certain comfort in this moment, perhaps it was the change from always being alone.

Perhaps in a few hours, the sun would rise on a sky healing from a storm as furious as the sea.  
Maybe then he would face tomorrow.


End file.
